Guadix lies half way between the village of Orce
and the Andalucian capital Granada, also famous for
its cave dwellings Guadix is another example of a
picturesque Andalucian town. It is also home to a
very special cheese.
Quesos de Leyva are so named after the Father of
the producer not the town or village, yearly production
barely exceeds two and a half thousand kilos so when
owner Ignacio invited us to go along and take a look
at this special cheese we simply had to oblige! Upon
entering the farm you can immediately see that it
is a very tight operation, a working farm with a mixture
of caves and conventional farm buildings to house
sheep and also Iberian pigs.
Quesos de Layva are different, you could say that
the cheese has a certain pedigree as it is a cheese
made with 100% pure sheep's milk which is only provided
by their own stock. In fact, the whole process from
breeding to the cheese production is done personally
by Ignacio and his father at La Finca Castañuelo
which is the name of their small farm in Guadix.
Even the feed for the sheep is made on the premises
by the family and their workers. They have their own
mill so carefully produce the highest quality feed
from the best pure raw materials to ensure the finest
milk and consequently, finest artisan cheese in the
area. The ewes, from where the milk for the cheese
comes, are all their own and occasionally they buy
in specially selected males for breeding. The animals
are then carefully tended to in situ on an ongoing
basis to achieve the highest quality ewes yielding
some of the finest milk in the area. Regular inspections
of the animals, milk and cheese also take place and
each animal has a unique number, as does the cheese
so everything can be traced back to origin which ensures
and guarantees quality.
Milking, which is done twice a day, takes place directly
next to where production begins. It is here where
the process starts. In a sterilised and optimally
clean environment Ignacio explained the whole process
from beginning to end which is done by Ignacio and
his father following traditional, artisan methods
of the highest sanitary standard. Once the cheese
has been made it is left to cure for between 65 and
70 days in an environment with optimum humidity and
temperatures. Once cured, they are then vacuum packed
and stored at 4C° which is the perfect temperature
and will ensure the cheese lasts.
Quesos de Leyva, is a small family run business which
is the best kind of producer we like to work with
and they represent the highest level of standards,
quality and professionalism. The philosophy and vision
of Quesos de Leyva is to always guarantee and assure
customer satisfaction by providing the finest product,
which has been hand made following traditional, artisan
methods.
The resulting cheese from this wonderful family operation
is a pure delight and a must for any cheese connoisseur.
Packaged in various weights with the option of a fine
extra virgin olive oil inside the cheese is rich,
creamy, mild yet unmistakable and certainly unlike
anything else in the ewes milk range.
The cheese is best enjoyed as Ignacio regularly does,
before lunch at room temperature with a glass of red
wine for the perfect aperitif. It is also delightful
after dessert with fruit to end an evening meal in
style.
Do we have a winner? Well we think so! After a trip
around the farm and the acres attached it was time
to sample some of the wine in the cave bodega, very
palatable indeed but unfortunately not for sale! Cheese
and wine . . . some of the regions finest complimentary
flavours.
